DollMaker
by Handwithquill
Summary: Modern AU for this years Space Wrapped. Prompt was: "Jim is a doll maker who Bones goes to to get a custom made doll for Joanna for Christmas; Jim can't help but want to learn more about the sweet man who seems to love his daughter so much."


Leon stared up at the store. It was squeezed in between the A _Quick Tumble_ and _Ghost's Deli_. The laundromat he knew, having used it in the first few weeks after he split from Jocelyn. And the couple who ran the Deli, Jack and Alexa Ghost, had come into the hospital few years ago.

He had been walking down this road for the past year and he had never seen the store before. He was sure that just yesterday, there was only an alley where the store now sat. He shook his head, there was no way a store could go up in one night. There was no windows on the small storefront, only the door. The sign above it had a golden border around a star-field. Some sort of spaceship that was leaving a contrail through the name:_Enterprise_.

There was noting else to say what the store was about. Leon watched for a few more minutes. The rushing holiday crowds, loaded down with bags didn't pay it any notice. He was sure in the buying frenzy they would pay attention to all stores, especially a new one.

He walked over and went in.

The scent was the first thing that he noticed. He couldn't place exactly what kind it was, but it was some kind of wood being worked on. Next was that it was dark in the shop. There were lights on, but they were dimmed, not bright and overbearing like most stores. It made it cozy, kind of like a library. Finally taking in the product on the shelves and tables, he saw that it was a toy shop. It also seemed to run the entire length of the alley.

The wall to his left had a shelving unit of board games. Next to that was soft looking baby toys, like the ones of Jo's that were boxed in the attic, or so he still hoped. That lead into the stuffed animals. Two rows of different kinds of stuffed animals. It looked like there were separated by type. The jungle animals were in one aisle and the ocean animals another and so on.

Displayed above them on the wall was all different kinds of kites, typical one in that sort of triangle shape, others in all shapes planes, cars, animals and a few that were shaped like people. The shelves in front of him held box kits. Model trains, cars, planes, spaceships. Science kits with microscopes and slides. Kits with test tubes and child safe chemicals. The two rows on his right held wooden toys. More planes, trains, trucks, cars, bikes with riders. Puzzle boxes, puppets, various and sundry of wooden toys.

A table just inside the door on his right was set up with little tin soldiers. Two army prepared for battle. He picked up one little soldier wearing what looked like leather armor. The tiny forehead seemed to have ridges on it. He put it back and looked at the army on the other side of the table. The soldiers leading the charge all had yellow shirts. A few with blue shirts were gathered off to the side where one in a red shirt was laying down.

He walked over to the stuffed animals. He had already gotten Jo her presents this year, but... He sighed as he picked up a mid sized wolf, sticking his hand in the pouch when he realized it was a puppet. Keeping the wolf on his hand, he continued browsing the shop.

"Hello." He jumped, holding the wolf out defensively. A chuckle let him track where the voice came from and he saw a man sitting behind a counter at the back of the shop. His blond head was bent as he worked on something. There was a snap and a piece of wood flew up over his shoulder. "There," he said. He gently set down what he was working on, before looking up.

"Hello," Leon said, swallowing hard as the lighted magnifying glasses made the man's blue eyes larger.

"Are you just browsing or do you have something specific in mind?"

"I-my daughter." He gasped out. "I want something special for my daughter. She's had a rough year."

"I'm sorry to hear that." The man's face fell a little. "May I ask how rough? Or is that too personal, Dr. McCoy?"

Leon felt his eyebrows furrow and he took a step back. "How..."

The man held up his hands, then pointed to Leon's chest. Leon blinked before looking down. He closed his eyes and sighed. He had changed into jeans after his shift, but he was still in his scrub shirt and his badge was still clipped to the pocket. When he looked back up, the man had taken off the magnifying glasses and his eyes were still an amazing blue. He wiped his hands on a rag and held one out to Leon.

"Jim Kirk, owner of _Enterprise_." They shook. "So, is it too personal to ask how rough?"

Leon looked down again and started petting the wolf puppet. "The Ex and I were separated for a year before, but she's not taking the divorce very well. It was only finalized last week. I don't think it helps that Jocelyn moved her boyfriend in a month ago. We held the separation off until after Christmas last year. Every time I talk to Joanna, she begs me to come home. I just want something to tell her...that I love her and am always thinking about her."

He stopped petting the puppet and looked up at Kirk. The man had a soft smile on his face.

"I'm sure she knows that. You _are _here," he said. Then he clapped his hands together. "So, how old is your daughter and what kind of girl is she?" He went to some shelves in the back of the counter area.

"She's eight," he told the other man. He took a step closer and watched as Kirk paced back an forth in front of the shelves.

"And what's she like? Is she Girly-girly?" He held up a Ceramic tile. _"_Is she a Tomboy?" He flipped a stick of Dogwood. "Or is she Sporty?" This time he opened a drawer and pulled out wire that stayed in the shape he bent it into. "How about Intellectual?" He dropped the wire and grabbed a handful of modeling clay, kneading it between his fingers.

"Well, I'd say she's a mix of Intellectual and Tomboy. My Ex was always trying to get her to go to ballet, but Jo would rather be out climbing trees. When asked, she says that she going to dig up bones when she grows up because she can't decide between being a Paleontologist or an Egyptologist. She's already exhausted her school's library on both subjects and is always begging to go to the public library to get _Non-kid books_, because kid books are _stupid_, and _don't have anything interesting in them. Just pictures!_

Leon noticed that as he listened, Kirk grasped more clay and was shaping it in his hands.

"Would you be all right," Kirk asked, "with bringing in a photo of Joanna for reference?"

"Reference?"

"Yeah, it'll have more impact if the doll I make for her looks like her." He was still kneading the clay. He added some more using both hands. Leon hesitated.

"Jo's not really a doll person."

"I understand. And this won't be the type of doll that you would buy her in a normal toy store for her to play with." Kirk met his eyes. "This will be a display doll that you had specifically made for her. One that she'll put up in her room, her collage dorm, and in the living room of her house when she grows up. She show it to her friends, her children and her grandchildren. And when she does, she'll tell them her father loved her very much and had this made to show her." He added more clay, hands moving quickly now. Leon saw that the lump of clay was taking on a vague person shape.

"Okay," he said. "I'll drop it off on my way in tomorrow." Kirk smiled and walked over to the counter. "Just let me fill out an order form." He tenderly set down the clay, wiped his hands on his apron and routed around in a drawer for a pen.

The paperwork filled out, Leon hesitated a moment longer before nodding his head and leaving the shop.

The next day, he left his apartment an hour early. He had spent the night going through the pictures of Joanna, finally settling on the picture of her from Halloween last year. Her face was unpainted and her hair was in pigtails. She was smiling up at the camera, small gap in her smile where she had lost her first tooth.

He took it out of his pocket as he entered the shop. The scent today was different. It was tangy, made his nose twitch. But he knew what it was. Model paint. He and his father use to put models together when he was a boy.

For a moment, he remembered it all. Could smell his father's cologne as he sat in his lap, pressing back into his chest as his father explained how the pieces went together. Could feel his father's hand around his, guiding the paintbrush. He held onto that moment, using it to push away the one that wanted to come forth.

His father's frail hand under his. Their places reversed as they built one last model together before his father died. The model that sat on a shelf in his office at the hospital.

He shook his head and looked at the picture in his hands. Jo loved putting models together too.

He moved through the aisles to the counter at the back. Kirk sat hunched at a work table behind the counter. Lighted magnifying glasses once again over his eyes as he painstakingly painted the smallest of a Matryoshka doll. The others in the set were drying on the table next to him. Leon could see him take his lip between his teeth as the tiny brush dabbed in the eyes of the doll.

For the next ten minutes Leon watched the other man paint, not wanting to disturb his hand. Kirk would alternately bite or lick his lips as he worked, making them fuller. Leon found himself copying each movement. When he was done, Kirk put down the brush, took off the glasses and stretched his back. Then he picked the doll back up and lightly blew on it. Leon didn't knew what happened, but the air pressure in the room changed, and the colors on the doll in Kirk's hand seemed to be brighter momentarily. He swallowed, popping his ears, as he watched Kirk lovingly put the Nesting Dolls together, before placing it in a box. Tissue paper was wrapped around it and a lid was placed on the box. He took the box over to another table that was covered in wrapping paper. Kirk's hands hovered over the different papers, but he didn't pick one.

"This is so not my department." He sighed. He reached for the box again, but froze, head snapping towards Leon. "Oh! Hello. Are you dropping off the photo?" Leon nodded. Kirk picked up a file on the desk. "I was sketching out some preliminaries last night. Which one do you think Joanna will like better?" He flipped the file around for Leon to see.

"Uh," Leon looked at them. Two he dismissed instantly. The other three he studied carefully. Jo would probably like all of them, but the one in the middle seemed special. It was a little more detailed. He tapped that one. Kirk smiled.

"I'm glad," he said. "It's my favorite too. It's the 10th now, I can have it ready by the 22nd. I know that's a little close, but..."

Leon waved his hand. "That's fine. This is last minute."

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy."

"Leon." Leon blinked, even as Kirk smiled. Nobody called him Leon. His family called him Leo and the people at the hospital called him Len. Jocelyn always called him Leonard. He knew it was strange, but Leon was his name for himself.

"Jim," Kirk said, his smile softening. He took the picture Leon was holding out to him, slipped it under the paperclip in the file, and looked back up at Leon. He noticed that Jim had a smudge of green paint on his forehead. And now that he was looking, he saw small flecks scattered across he cheeks. Leon clenched his hands and jammed them in the pockets of his coat. He groped for something to say.

"You haven't been open long, have you? I don't even remember there being a building here."

"No, not long." Jim closed the file and put in the desk. "I opened just before Thanksgiving."

"Are you getting a brisk trade?"

Jim paused, looked up at him and smiled. "I'm getting the customers I'm supposed to," he said, enigmatically.

Leon frowned at him, but let it go. He reflexively checked his watch. There was still half an hour before he really should have left his apartment to get to work. "If you don't mind my asking, why a toy shop? I understand why this time of year, but why in general?"

Jim blinked, opened his mouth and closed it. He went back to the chair he was in earlier and picked up a bunch of cloth. "Like most families, mine had traditions." He carefully moved the cloth around and pulled a needle from a seam. "Some good, some bad." He shrugged. "But the one thing they all had in common was that whatever it was, was meant to help people. My Grand Father volunteered in soup kitchens when he was a boy." He found a spool on the counter and threaded the needle.

Matching up two pieced of cloth, he pulled the needle through it. "My Father was in the military. And, according to my brother, wasn't home much. But from wherever he was posted, Sam told me, he would send the best toys home. Handmade ones from around the world. Things that would make the newest toy on the market seem unimportant. Toys that Sam still prizes."

He had sewn most of the cloth together until only a small opening was left. He tied off the knot and snipped the thread. The needle went back into a case and the cloth was turned inside out. Or rather, turned right side out. Jim reached into a cabinet above his head and pulled out a bag. He picked up a wooden dowel, took some cotton out of the bag and started to stuff the Teddy Bear he had just sewn together.

"As I said, this is what my brother told me. My Father never sent me anything as he died the day I was born. My mother, well she did the best that she could, but she never got over my Father. She never bought anything handmade. Birthday and Christmas presents were all bought and wrapped at a store. Then, when I was thirteen, a friend of my Father's showed up."

Leon watched as he tied up the bag of cotton and put it back in the cabinet. Jim threaded another smaller needle and started to sew the little paw shut. That done, he put the Bear down and reached into another drawer, frowning at what was inside. He glanced sideways at the Bear and pulled out two spools of inch and a half ribbon. He looked at them for a few seconds, before holding them out to Leon.

Leon blinked at them himself before glancing at the Bear. He pointing to the royal blue one as it went with the soft cream of the Bear's fur better. Jim nodded and dropped the orange spool back into the drawer. He measured out a length and cut it off.

"Chris had been the military with my dad for a little while. Before he left to up hold his own family traditions. When he showed up when I was thirteen, he had a small box with him." Jim quickly tied the ribbon in a bow around the Teddy Bear's neck. He fluffed it a little and took it over to the wrapping table.

He pulled a box out from under the table and laid a few sheets of tissue paper inside. The bear went in next, the paper wrapped around it and the lid was placed on it. He turned back to Leon. "Inside the box was a toy train. Hand carved and hand painted. I could feel the grooves of the knife as I ran my hands along it. And when I looked back up at Chris, I could see the paint still on his hands. I knew. At that moment, I knew that he had made it _especially_ for me. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to get a present before."

He walked over to the desk and picked up a wooden train engine. The paint was flaked in places, but it was obviously well loved and cared for. His fingers grazed along the smokestack, before he put it back on the desk. "That's why a Toy shop."

Leon hesitated as he grasped the doorknob to Enterprise. It was late, his shift at the hospital had gotten over hours ago, but he had been in surgery. He had been on his way home when he saw the thin strip of light coming from under the door of the toy shop. He had stared at it for a few seconds before he decided to try the door.

The knob turned gently under his hand and he stepped in. The light was coming from the counter in the back, and he made his way through the darkened aisles. He stopped just short of being seen and stared.

Jim was sitting on the counter, leaning back on the wall. One leg hung off the side, the other was bent, propping up his elbow. One of the track lights had been positioned to shine down on him. Leon couldn't quiet see what he was carving, but he watched as Jim held it up to examine in the light. Jim put down the knife he was holding and picked up a small square of paper. He ran it along a spot.

He was humming and nodding as he worked, the light caused the highlights in his honey blond hair to sparkle. For many reasons tonight, Leon sighed as he watched him. Jim must have heard as he turned to look his way.

"Leon!" he said, a smile quirking up the corner on his mouth. It quickly fell as he looked. "What's wrong? I'm sorry but you look terrible."

Leon sighed again, rubbing his face with one of his hands. He took a step forward and perched on the counter near Jim's feet when Jim nodded to it. "Bad day at work." Jim swung his leg off and wiggle over so they were sitting side by side. "Lost a patient today. We got a call from the ER saying they had a multi-system trauma patient. That it was bad and they were stabilizing him just enough for surgery. They got him to the OR and I thought it was going to be alright, but..."

He pressed a hand to his eyes. He could feel them starting to sting. "but every time I finished fixing one thing, something else would go wrong. The worst was the laceration to his liver. I tried everything I knew to close it. I don't even know how long he was on my table before he crashed." His chest hitched once, then he gasped as the sobs burst out of him. He didn't know what he could have done different, but he couldn't help thinking there had to be something. "He was only twelve years old."

"Leon." Jim sighed as Leon felt him wrap an arm around his shoulder and pull him closer. His other arm wrapped around Leon's waist and he rested his foreheads against Leon's temple. He wasn't aware of much for awhile. Not until the tightness in his chest loosened. As he got control of his breathing he heard Jim singing softly. He recognized the song and smiled through the tears as Jim finished singing.

"_Cry if you want to._

_I won't tell you not to_

_I won't try to cheer you up_

_I'll just be here _

_if want me _

_to be _

_near you."_

"You're a good Doctor," he whispered as the sobs slowed. "I'm sure there was nothing more you could have done." He pulled a handkerchief seemingly out of nowhere and passed it over. Leon took it and after using it, stuck it in his pocket to wash before returning.

"Intellectually I know that. But he was only twelve," he said again hopelessly. Jim nodded and ran a hand up Leon's back and up through his hair. Leon turned his head slightly. Jim's nose bumped his. "Jim," he breathed out, bringing his hand up to the back on the other man's head. Neither of them had to really move to bring their lips together. They kissed once, twice and Leon licked his lips, watching as Jim did the same. He was leaning in for a third when Jim pulled away, sighing deeply.

"Leon, no," he said, licking his lips again."You're upset right now." He squeezed the back of Leon's neck and spun his legs around to hop off the counter into the work area. "I'm almost done with the doll." he said. "Would you like to see?"

Leon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he did it again. Yes, he was upset, but it was obvious that Jim wasn't interested in him. He took another calming breath and stood up. It had only been four days since he had first walked into the shop. So why did the thought of walking out the door after Jim had clearly rejected him feel like he was losing everything he never knew he wanted. "That's okay, Jim." he said, not turning around. "I'm sure it's fine." He wrapped his coat tighter around him and walked out of the shop.

Leon stopped in front of _Ghost's Deli _a few days later. Jim wasn't waiting outside his shop today. He had been for the past two days, leaning back against the door, looking around both way before checking his watch and going back inside. Last night there was a message on his phone from Jim asking if he would come in to okay a change he made to the design of the doll.

As he watched, the door to _Enterprise_ opened. A woman walked out, clutching a wrapped box to her chest. Leon could see her eyes were glistening, but she was smiling as she turned and shook hands with Jim. Jim returned the smile and watched her as she walked away. He looked around and Leon pulled his collar up. It was no use, Jim saw him.

"Leon!" he shouted, waving a hand. Leon sighed and made his way over. "Did you get my message? Come see the changes!" Jim pushed the door to _Enterprise_ open and took a step inside.

"I can't right now." Leon said. "I got called into the hospital to do a consult." Both men knew the lie for what it was. "Whatever you want to change on the doll is fine. I'm sure Jo will love it no matter what." He went to move past Jim, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Leon, about the kiss-"

"It's all right." Leon cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Like you said, I was upset. Let's just forget about it. It-it was a mistake."

"Oh, alright." Jim said, his hand falling away from Leon's arm. He stuck his hands in his pockets and ducked his head. "The doll will be done on time, even-even with the changes."

"Okay." Leon nodded. "I'll be in on the 22nd to pick it up."

"All right." Jim said.

They looked at each other for a few more seconds until Leon turned and walked away.

Leon did his best to take other routes to the hospital for the next few days. He also tried his best to not think of Jim; it didn't work though. The next day Christine had insisted he go shopping with her for the pediatric ward's Christmas party. Looking around the toy store, he couldn't help but grimace. Everything looked so... _impersonal_. He didn't think Jim would have had any of these things in his shop.

And at night, he dreamt.

_ The first night it was just a bunch of images. Flashes in typical dream fashion. He saw Jim with a tentative smile on his face. The inside of the shop, the voice of a man he didn't recognized. "You did good, Son!" He felt pride at those words. Then he saw Jim again, this time, arm outstretched as he mouthed Leon's name. He heard Jim singing again and saw himself walking down the street. The last image that flashed was the hallway outside his apartment._

He laid in bed for a few moments that morning, trying to make sense of the images. He couldn't and he pushed them away as he got ready. The image of Jim with the his arm outstretched just wouldn't leave, though. In the hospital cafe that day, the new cashier had the same honey blond hair and impish smile. He put his tray down and left.

H_e was standing in the shop. Jim was in the work space behind the counter. He was seated on a stool, lighted magnifying glasses on, and was working on something that Leon couldn't see properly. He wasn't sure how much dream time passed before Jim stood the object up and picked up a small paintbrush. "You will be perfect," he told it, before reaching over and propping up a photo. Leon saw it was the one of Jo he had brought in. Jim examined the photo, then delicately started painting in the face of the doll._

The day after that he was on duty in the ER. The waiting room wasn't very full for once and he saw a little boy pushing a toy train around the chair legs. The little boy looked up and met Leon's eyes with his own bright blue ones.

_ Jim was sitting on the counter, leaning back against the wall. Like he had been the night of the kiss. He was staring intently at the object in his hand he was carving. He flicked his wrist and a piece of wood flew off into the work space. He put the knife down and rubbed a finger along the spot. He sighed. "Too deep." His head thunked back against the wall. Then he did it again. "Come on, Jim! You're not concentrating." _

_ He tossed the piece of wood away and picked up another. "You know what you are supposed to be," he told it. "And you," he said, picking up the knife, "know what you're supposed to take away. Now, please get it right, because...because..." He trailed off and lifted one finger to his mouth. His eyes were distant as he ran the fingertip along his lips. "Because this is important."_

Leon snapped his eyes open. He took a few calming breaths to still the pounding his heart was doing. These images weren't real, he told himself. No matter how much he wanted the kiss to matter to Jim, it didn't!

He rolled out of bed and got ready for the day. Another major motor vehicle accident kept him occupied for the rest of the day. When he got home that night he fell asleep quickly.

_Like the first night, this night was just flashes. Enterprise's shopfront. A sense of loss. Jim the first time Leon entered Enterprise. Jim watching him walk away, pain in his eyes. The hallway outside his apartment again. Then the dream changed. It was dark, but he could see Jim. See Jim under him, head tilted back. Kiss swollen lips parted, tongue peeking out. "Leon," he heard Jim whisper as he arched under him. He could feel his body responding, tension building, and finally releasing._

He woke up with a groan, the wet spot on the sheet under him cooling quickly. He rolled over and buried his head under his pillow for a few seconds before getting up and stripping himself and the bed. He didn't bother to find new sheets, but fell back into bed and tried to forget it. It wasn't going to happen and after he picked up the doll that day, he'd never see Jim again. He ignored the clench in his chest at that thought as he fell asleep.

It was with a deep sigh that Leon opened the door to _Enterprise_ on his way into the hospital. There wasn't many people on the street. Morning rush hour was over and the shopping rush hadn't began yet. Like every other time he had been in the shop, the scent hit him first. This time it smelled like Christmas. Pine, baked goods, and anticipation.

It looked like Jim had been busy. Most of the shelves had empty spots. He assumed that Jim had been too busy to make replacements and wondered how long it would take him to fill his shelves back up. He slowly made his way to the counter at the back of the shop. He slowed even more as he heard voices.

"This is good, Jim," a voice he somehow recognized said. He quietly made his way to the corner of an aisle and peeked around. Jim was behind the counter. Another man with salt and pepper hair was standing with Jim. He held something in his hands up to the light. He twisted it in every angle. He lowered his arm and looked at Jim. "This is some of your best work. You've obviously put your heart into it." There's a proud smile on his face. "You did good, Son."

Jim beamed up at the other man. Leon couldn't help the feeling of deja-vu that flooded over him. He didn't want to interrupt, but something was telling him not to leave either.

"So, who's it for?" the other man said, eyebrow raising. He put down what he was holding and picked up something else. He smiled at Jim. "I assume they are the reason you're still here this late in the season?"

"Who says it's for anybody? And I'm still here because I still have orders to fulfill." Jim gestured to the work area before he took the object from the other man. He carefully wrapped it in tissue paper and and put it in a box on the counter. The lid was gently put on it and a ribbon was tied into a bow. The other man was still staring at him.

"You have _one_ order left. And it's being picked up today."

"Chris." Jim shook his head. "It's no one. Just a customer."

"Just a customer?" Chris repeated. "I doubt that. I've known you for years, Jim. I taught you everything about our business. And I know that when you made that, you were thinking of someone. Who? It was someone you-"

He didn't finish the sentence as Jim looked over then and saw him standing there.

"Leon." He saw a range of expression cross Jim's face. His eyes lit up momentarily, before he frowned. "Are you here to pick up your order?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"O-okay." Jim bit his lip and turned. Leon kept his eyes on Jim's back. The other man's eyes darted back and forth between them before he held out his hand.

"Hello," Leon stepped closer to the counter and shook his hand. "I'm Chris Pike."

"Leonard McCoy," he said, trying not to fidget. Pike was staring at him and he couldn't help but think of the first time he met Jocelyn's Father. He let out a relived sigh when Jim stepped back up to the counter. The box he put down was about two feet long. Jim took off the lid, and he could only blink.

A mini Joanna lay in the tissue paper staring up at him. He eased the doll out of the box and held it up. It was exquisite. Every feature was perfect. Right down to the little scar on her forehead from when she was baby and tried to crawl out the broken screen door. Her hair was in braided pig tails and hung halfway down her back. He grinned when he saw that Jim dressed her as Indianan Jones. Khaki pants, button up shirt and leather jacket. A whip was tied to her waist and a satchel hung across her body. In one of the little doll hands was a book on dinosaurs. The other hand was holding a little mummy.

"It's perfect," he breathed, looking back up at Jim. He swallowed at the soft smile on Jim's face. He put the doll back into the box and closed the lid.

"I'm glad you like it." They stared at each other for a few seconds before Jim shook himself. "The-the stand is in the bottom of the box. It's easy to snap together. Would you like me to wrap it for you?"

"That's okay." He shook his head, "I have special paper I use for all Jo's presents."

They were staring again and this time it was a throat clearing that broke their gaze.

"You should really answer your phone, Jim." They both looked at him in confusion. Then the phone rang. Jim narrowed his eyes at Pike before he went to answer the phone.

There was awkward silence. For Leon at least, he had a feeling that Pike was enjoying it.

"So," Leon said, "You're the one who..." He waved vaguely before pointing to the toy train on Jim's desk.

"He told you about that?" Pike cocked his head, eyes examining Leon even more. "Jim's really special. Of all those I've trained in this job, he's the only one who truly embraced it the way my family intended. But sometimes he forgets the other side of it. The side that's not focused on making children happy, but about finding..." He trailed off and smiled at Leon. "I think you know."

Leon wanted to shake his head, say no he didn't, but he heard Jim say goodbye to whoever was on the phone and come back over. He had brought over a folder with him and Leon filled out the final bit of paperwork and paid for the doll.

"I guess that's it?" He picked up the doll box and cradled it in his arms.

"Uh, yeah." Jim said. He was biting the inside of his lip again and holding the folder to his chest. He gave Leon soft smile. "Merry Christmas, Leon."

"Merry Christmas, Jim." He swallowed. "You too, Mr. Pike." He turned and walked away. Heart pounding, knowing this was the last time he was going to be this close to Jim. And he told himself that it was his imagination when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jim reaching out to stop him, Leon's name on his lips.

He put the doll in his office during his shift. It made many appearances when Chapel found it and told all the nurses about it. They coo'd and aww'd over it all day. This had the unfortunate side effect of keeping its maker in Leon's mind all day as they all asked where he got it. He told them about the shop, about having it made for Joanna. He didn't tell them about the shop owner.

And he was starting to doubt himself.

Maybe Jim did try to stop him from leaving today. Maybe the tentative smile was because he wanted to say more to Leon, but was afraid that Leon didn't want it. Maybe Jim didn't reject his kiss, but really was just worried that Leon was upset and didn't mean it. Maybe if he went back to the shop and tried to kiss Jim again, the kiss would be reciprocated.

These thoughts were in the back of his head as he did his rounds. They were in the front of his thoughts as he brooded in his office. It was these thoughts that had him biting the inside of his lip and hurried his feet on his way home that night. He took the route that would have him passing by _Enterprise._ He told himself that if there was lights on he would go in and talk to Jim. But he slowed in disbelief, jaw dropping as he got closer.

It was gone! _Enterprise_ was gone!

A _Quick Tumble_ still stood on the right and _Ghost's Deli_ was still on the left, but between them was an empty alley. He couldn't believe it. He took a step closer, to where the door should have been. The alley was deserted. A slightly overflowing dumpster sat next to the side door of the laundromat, other trash was scattered around.

It was impossible. He had just _been _in the shop a few hours ago! He shook his head, looking down at he box in his arms and the _Enterprise_ logo on the lid. He caressed it gently "Jim."

With one last look down the alley, he continued home.

Leon yawned as he leaned against the back of the elevator. He was exhausted after working nearly three shifts in a row. He had started with a night shift on the 23rd, followed by a double on the 24th. M'Benga had wanted to spend Christmas Eve with his girlfriend, and even though switching night shifts with Geoffrey meant Leon would be working Christmas eve, it was worth it. He would have all of Christmas day to spend with Jo.

He cracked an eye open when the elevator dinged, but it wasn't his floor. He didn't think too much of it when no one got on, but rotated his neck to get some of the kinks out. His eye closed again, thinking about what had happened that day.

He hadn't intended to but, on his way to the hospital that day, he walked past where _Enterprise_ had been. As he approached, he had quickened his steps, seeing a blond man staring at the alley. Hearing his foot steps, the man turned, but it wasn't Jim. Leon's shoulders dropped and the man went back to staring at the empty alley. Leon stared with him. The man pointed at the alley and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and dropped his hand. That was when Leon noticed that he was holding a bag with _Enterprise's_ logo on it. Their eyes met and they nodded to each other then went their separate ways.

He really needed to stop thinking about Jim. With the store _gone_ he definitely wouldn't see the man again. The elevator dinged again and he got off on his floor. He wasn't paying attention as he made his way to his apartment, so didn't see the tripping hazard until it was too late.

"Oohff." The air rushed out of his lungs and he ended up braced over the person he tripped over. He looked down, ready to rip into them, but gasped at the person instead. "Jim!"

"Hey, Leon." Jim said from under him. "I was hoping to run into you, but not this way." He smiled, laughter sparkling in his eyes.

"Jim! I-I didn't expect to see you again! What happened? Your shop? I went by and it's..."

"I, uh, decided to move the shop."

"The whole building?" His brows furrowed.

"Yeah, it's a long story." Leon felt his eyebrow rise. Jim watched it was well and even raised a finger and traced it. Leon swallowed.

"Is there a reason you're sitting in front of my apartment door?"

"Yeah," Jim focused back on Leon, biting his lip.

"Oh?" He knew he should have said something more coherent, but he had met Jim's eyes. The hallway lights fell across them perfectly for him to get lost in them.

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you. But, um..." He placed his hands on Leon's shoulders and pushed lightly. "Do you think we could do it in your apartment, or at least, you know, not on the hallway floor?"

"Oh? OH!" Leon colored and scrambled back. He held out his hand to help Jim up and unlocked his door. Jim picked up a bag and followed him inside. He turned on a light.

"Nice place." Jim said, still biting his lip and shifting from foot to foot as he looked around. Leon watched as he moved to the mantle and took in the pictures there. He smiled as he took in Joanna's school picture. One finger coming up to trail along the frame. Leon's heart clenched.

He didn't know why, but he knew with out a doubt, that Jo would like Jim. He could almost imagine them together. He could see them at the park, Jim helping Jo fly a kite Jim made for her. Could see their blond and brown hair mixing together as the conspired, shooting him mischievous smiles over the breakfast table.

"You said you wanted to talk?" He asked, shaking his head. Those things would not happen and it was better to get this over with so he could move on from this strange infatuation with the other man.

"Right." Jim took a deep breath and moved back over to his bag. "The other day, after you left the shop, I talked with Chris, and he said...well, he said a lot of things. Some of them he's been saying for years so I ignored them, but a few things...they finally made sense." He pulled a wrapped box out of the bag. "Here," he said, thrusting the package at Leon. "I made this for you."

Leon took the box. It was wrapped in golden paper and tied with blue ribbon. He undid the bow and slipped a fingernail under the tape. Letting the paper fall, he stared at the box. It was the one Jim took away from Pike the last day he was in the shop. He looked up at Jim as he opened the lid. Jim was looking at him with a tentative smile on his face.

Inside the box was a velvet pouch. He loosened the drawstring and took out the contents. A necklace cord with two pendants on it. Each was about two inches high. The first was an intricately carved Caduceus. The eyes on each snake were visible, as were all the feathers on each wing. It was attached to the cord throught a hole in the knob of the staff.

"I know that a Caduceus is wrong," Jim said meeting Leon's eyes briefly. "and it should be a Rod of Asclepius, but since most people don't know that, and most public Health Services use a Caduceus..." He shrugged. "I couldn't decide which one was a better, so I carved the other one as well."

Leon looked at the other pendant. It was a medallion and he gasped as he took in the image carved into it. Jo smiled up at him. It was only two inches by two inches, but it was an exact copy of the photo he had given Jim for the doll.

"Jim!"

"Since it was the one you brought in, I knew it had to be one of your favorites. This way, you can keep the two most important things close to your heart."

Jim was smiling up at him. As he looked at him, his jaw dropped at what he saw in Jim's eyes. There was hope and...and...he swallowed.

"Jim," he breathed. Somethings were starting to make sense. He knew these pendants were what Pike was looking at when he came to pick up Jo's doll. He remembered what he overheard Pike say that day. _"You've obviously put your heart into it."_ and _"And I know that when you made that, you were thinking of someone. Who? It was someone you-"_ Was he going to finish that sentence with _"Some one you love?"_

He swallowed again and looked at the pendents. "Jim" he put the necklace back into the velvet bag and stepped closer to the other man. He raised a hand to cup Jim's cheek. "When you stopped and said I was upset, it wasn't because you didn't want me to kiss you, but because you wanted to be sure it was what I wanted, right?"

"Yeah," Jim said softly. He took a half step forward and tilted his head into Leon's hand. "I wanted you to kiss me. I still do, but you need to be sure it's what you want. You have to be sure of what you feel, that you might... If-if you don't-"

He cut off when Leon shook his head and leaned forward. Their lips met once, twice, and a third time. He rested their foreheads together. "I'm sure Jim," he breathed against him lips. "I know we've only known each other a short time, but I'm sure."

Jim's eyes widened. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He grinned brightly before pulling Leon's lips back to his.

Later that night, as Jim curled against Leon, hearts slowing, breathing returning to normal and the sweat cooling on their bodies, Leon was so happy he had seen Jim's shop. Being with Jim and Jo tomorrow would make it the best Christmas he'd had in a long time.


End file.
